Topic: Google IO 2018

Google appears to have a formidable lead in developing "smart services," including intelligent search, voice assistance, map routing, imaging and other app features powered by artificial intelligence. Yet at its annual Google IO developer conference, the company failed to show developers how this edge would do much for them, given that most Android devices aren't updated and that Google's own updated, premium-priced Android devices aren't selling.

This week on the AppleInsider podcast, Victor and Mike discuss Apple's drone project, Jony Ive and post-Jobs products, and a virtual assistant from Google that that phones people to schedule appointments just like a real assistant.

Google launched a new machine learning SDK called ML Kit, which provides a way for developers to add machine learning-based features to their Android and iOS apps, with Google's new framework following almost a year after Apple introduced the similar Core ML platform.

Google has previewed some of the changes it will be making to the Google Assistant app for iOS at the Google I/O keynote address, including food delivery and smart home-related requests, and an experimental feature where the digital assistant makes calls to businesses on the user's behalf.